Emmett Till's former home in Chicago’s predominately Black Woodlawn neighborhood.

Monday, November 27, 2017

Group seeks landmark status for Emmett Till's Chicago Home

A preservation group wants the Chicago home where Emmett Till once lived to receive landmark status.

A city report notes the boy and his mother moved into the apartment in 1953. It's a red brick two-flat and was Till's home before he traveled to Mississippi in 1955, where he was brutally killed.

His killing sparked outrage and galvanized the civil rights movement.

The Chicago Tribune reports Preservation Chicago has proposed the idea to city officials. To get the designation, the building has to meet criteria and get City Council approval. Having landmark status would protect it from demolition and major changes.

Renters live in the apartment. The owner, Brahmananda Bandela, says he was unaware of the property's history and is interested in ensuring it's turned into something to commemorate Till.